The Air Force needs a corporate planning conscience

William Simons

Expert InsightsPublished 1977

The author compares the Air Force to a well-managed corporate entity and suggests that long-range corporate planning is essential to clarify the future consequences of various mission, task, and system choices before commitments are made. The important feature of corporate planning is the conscience with which long-range issues are addressed: (1) Planning is conducted with the knowledge that critical resource allocation choices are needed, and certain choices and tradeoffs form appropriate alternatives. (2) Alternative capabilities and tasks should be considered from the viewpoint of national security interests, not necessarily for existing mission areas. (3) Systems should be examined critically in terms of the expected real and opportunity costs of acquiring them.

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Simons, William, The Air Force needs a corporate planning conscience. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1977. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P5878.html.
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